Inside the Mountain That Eats Men

Young miners in Potosí, Bolivia risk their lives each day.

Mining for Survival

Men have been mining this mountain for almost 500 years. Potos&iacute is one of the oldest continuously operating mines in the world, and certainly the oldest in the Americas. There are more than 400 mine entrances, some going miles into the mountainside. The top of the mountain collapsed years ago, and with so many tunnels the entire mountain may collapse on itself one day. The carts in this picture are used for hauling rock from deep inside. They are pushed by hand all the way. (Jeffrey Kofman/ABC News)